Poul Anderson's Tau Zero is an outstanding work of science fiction, in part
because it combines two qualities that are often at odds in this genre: an
interest in the emotional lives of its characters and a fascination with all
things technological and scientific. In Tau Zero these components are not merely
fused; they work together with a remarkable synergy that makes the novel much
more than just a deep space adventure story.The novel centers on a ten-year
interstellar voyage aboard the spaceship Leonora Christine, and it opens with
members of the crew preparing for their departure from earth. It is an
especially moving departure because they